Ginger Says – Sometimes, principles are all you have
By Ginger | July 18, 2002
Seems a long time since the last of these intro things reached the eager eyes of the strange breed of folk that frequently inhabit this place.
I’m currently in the tiniest hotel room in Nottingham, waiting to leave to soundcheck for tonight’s gig at Rock City. It was supposed to have been a secret gig, but the organisers decided to advertise it on the Rock City web site. It says something like ‘Velvet Presley (AKA THE WILDHEARTS) are playing Rock City, blah blah blah’.
How stupid does that look, printing the pseudonym with the real name next to it? ‘Fucking daft,’ you’re thinking, right? And you would be very correct. We’re still doing the gig since Andy Copping is a good friend, but it feels really strange being fucked over by your favourite club in the country. And to add an extra pinch of irony, we booked this show after the Hope & Anchor decided to advertise that we were playing a secret gig there.
What is it with people and secrets? Has the human being evolved into a beast that values gossip more than honour? I mean, the Hope & Anchor holds 80 people. We could have filled that with our friends in North London alone. Why the need to sell it out two weeks in advance? A few fans even had a problem with us cancelling after a contract had been breached. What sort of band do people want us to be? Pushovers? Wrong band, I’m afraid.
I still think we should cancel every show on which people go back on promises and try to fuck us over. I reluctantly agreed to do tonight’s show under protest. I guess everyone’s right. Fans are turning up, after all. It’s just that I expect people to do what they say they’re going to do… but talk is easier than action.
Like the Alice Cooper tour, for example – giving us the slot of special guests then taking it away and giving it to Thunder. I mean, that’s fucking shit, isn’t it? What utter cunts. Not Thunder, you understand, but the back-slapping businessmen behind the picture, shifting and manipulating bands for their own means and reputations. What has that got to do with music? It makes no sense. In fact, the only thing that would make sense is if they asked us back to play in our original position. I know some people are pissed off that we’ve cancelled the November tour with Alice Cooper, me included – I was dying to talk horror movies with the man – but what would you do in our position? If you’d just lie back and go ahead with the tour then chances are me and you aren’t going to get along.
Sometimes, principles are all you have.
On a lighter note, SilverGinger 5 have a new drummer, Mr Ritch Battersby, who you all know as the ex-drummer of The Wildhearts, and the current drummer of Grand Theft Audio. Yeah, GTA are still very much alive, but Ritch has enough time to concentrate on other things, too, and I’m delighted that he’s joined our ranks. His playing fits perfectly with Random Jon Poole’s style, and his personality sits comfortably with ours. What a dream band line-up: Conny Bloom, Random and Ritch, and some dodgy fucker singing, but even he sounds great next to class like this.
We got together a few weeks ago to write some songs for the new album. We came out with 19, ranging from heavy-as-fuck stuff that goes through the whole gamut of styles, to blast-beats and stoner rock; while some stuff sounds like stomping slices of tortured glam. Everyone is contributing, so expect the second album to differ largely from the first. This one is definitely a lot more twisted. Oh man, I cannot wait to record this shit and give it to you. I cannot wait for the feedback. And I cannot wait to take this new lineup out on tour where we can detonate huge banks of fireworks while trashing flaming guitars, all at nose-bleed volume.
Sometimes I love my job.
The Wildhearts are currently playing some warm-up dates for the Nottingham Distortion festival, which looks like being the greatest lineup of bands of this entire year. The warm-up shows are turning out to be a lot more fun than we had dreaded. In rehearsals the band looked ready to fall apart, as everyone tried to break from their routine bad habits and return to being a live band. Some took to the turn-around like pros… some didn’t. However, this is The Wildhearts we’re talking about, so the unexpected is mandatory.
The first show (Colchester) was a shaky affair that at least successfully dusted off a few large cobwebs. The audience were subdued but warm, the gig was as hot as Hell’s vindaloo restaurant, and the band played a perfunctory, if spirited, set of requests from the audience.
Last night, in Milton Keynes, we played much better and with a lot more energy. Danny was on fine form, drunk and entertaining. And I managed to catch both Psycho A Go-Go and Dog Toffee’s sets. Psycho were brilliantly sleazy and have one of the most eccentric frontmen since Eddie Tenpole, while Dog Toffee rocked in a ‘Supersuckers brawling with Groop Dogdrill’ stylee. Fantastic stuff. You really must check out both of these bands for sheer entertainment. In fact, they should get out on tour together and take their frenetic brands of rock ‘n’ roll to the starving masses. You just don’t get enough quality these days to ignore talent like this. Really.
Not sure how tonight’s gig is going to go. The bad feeling I had about having a secret gig advertised doesn’t seem to be letting up. Post-soundcheck finds the band all round the pub, and I’m sitting here on a fucking computer trying to keep myself together for the show, even though half of me wants to drink away the pessimism. I’m sure that as soon as I hear a Wildhearts audience, every ill feeling will be replaced by a huge positive charge of energy. You always do that. Every time!
Looking forward to seeing you down the front at the Bulldog Bash. Please make us seem like the most essential band in the universe and I’m sure we’ll be headlining next year.
The single (Vanilla Radio) will be out in late September on three different formats, all featuring different B-sides. Buy all three formats and you’ll be looking at five brand new songs, as well as the lead track. Now, ain’t we good to you?
And we’ll be playing an extended tour, to coincide with the single release, due to the Alice Cooper tour balls-up. So at least something good will actually come of this madness. We’ll also be touring in Japan, as well as playing a couple of festivals, and finally getting a chance to play in New York and Los Angeles in late October.
Oh, and Angie is pregnant again! We’re expecting the new addition to turn up in early February.
Things are up and things are scattered, and that’s where I came in.
See ya.
Ginger
Alice Cooper Announcement – Explanation
By Kris | July 18, 2002
As an addendum to yesterday’s announcement about the Alice Cooper dates, The Wildhearts would like to explain why they pulled out of the tour.
“We were booked as special guests on the tour,” says Ginger. “We moved around tour dates and single releases to coincide with the tour. Then yesterday we found out that Thunder are the new special guests and we are supposed to play underneath them. Which is just never going to happen, y’know?
“It went from being something of a cool curiosity gig to a nostalgia trip, complete with Rob Halford being added to the bill. I apologise to anyone that has shelled out money for this trip down Jurassic Junction, but it’s in the band’s best interests that we pull out before they add Quireboys and Dumpy’s Rusty Nuts.”
There is some good news, though: The Wildhearts are now hoping to extend their September / October headlining tour.
Wildhearts – no longer on Alice Cooper Tour
By Kris | July 17, 2002
Contrary to last week’s announcement, The Wildhearts will NOT be playing the Alice Cooper tour in November.
The band would like apologise to anyone who may have bought tickets for any of the advertised shows.
Their September headline tour is unaffected.
Wildhearts – not playing Hope & Anchor
By Kris | July 15, 2002
There’s been some recent talk about it on The Wildhearts Mailing List, but in case you haven’t heard, The Wildhearts will NOT be playing the Hope & Anchor in Islington, London, this Thursday, despite tickets going on sale last week.
The band would like to apologise to everyone who bought tickets.
Says Ginger: “We cancelled the gig because of lack of honour between artist and venue. The H&A agreed to have the show billed as a secret gig, for the hardcore fans only. When they decided to put the tickets up for sale on the Internet, without our permission, they breached the contract and went against the whole idea – which was a secret gig to be announced on the day before the show, to allow everyone the chance of getting a ticket.
“A show like this was expected to sell out instantly. It’s only fair that all fans be given the chance to obtain tickets, not just those with computers. Selling only to those with Internet access is unfair to those with jobs and without regular Internet access. We wanted to be able to get the message to everyone the day before, and give everyone a chance to get tickets the next day. Sorry for the inconvenience, but fair is the only way.”
Refunds are available from the point of purchase.
If you bought tickets for this show, we’d be grateful if you would send an email to silverginger@scuzz.com – stating how many you bought and where you bought them. Thanks.
All of the other advertised dates are on, so panic ye not.
Wildhearts – Tour Dates – Autumn 2002
By Kris | July 13, 2002
And there’s more! Here’s the newest batch of forthcoming Wildhearts live dates.
In August, the band pop over to Japan to play the outdoor stage of Summer Sonic 2002:
- Saturday 17 August – WTC Open Air Stadium, Osaka
- Sunday 18 August – Chiba Marine Stadium, Tokyo
Tickets for the festival can be bought online from Entertainment Plus. Inc.
Then there are some more headlining dates in the UK to (hopefully!) celebrate the release of the Vanilla Radio single:
- Tuesday 24 September – University, Leicester
- Wednesday 25 September – Junction, Cambridge
- Thursday 26 September – Town Hall, Middlesbrough
- Friday 27 September – Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
- Saturday 28 September – Leadmill, Sheffield
- Sunday 29 September – Rios, Bradford
- Monday 30 September – Lemon Grove, Exeter
- Tuesday 1 October – Roadmender, Northampton
- Thursday 3 October- Astoria, London
Tickets are available (or, if they’re not currently, soon will be) through the usual agents – Ticketmaster, Ticketweb and Aloud.
The supports for next week’s UK dates (the pre-Distortion shows) are Dog Toffee and Psycho A Go-Go (the Psycho boys are opening, so get there early – we think they’re fuggin’ great!).
And finally, SilverGinger 5 have a new drummer. His name is… drum roll please… Ritch Battersby!
Ginger PO Box Address
By Kris | July 10, 2002
The wait is over – Ginger finally has a new PO Box! You can once again write to him care of the wonderful (cough) Royal Mail:
Ginger
PO Box 34390
London
NW6 1YF
England
If you’re sending anything that you want returned, please remember to enclose the return postage (SAEs are always appreciated).
Ginger Says – We’ve never had such a good view. Front row seats for the game of the century!
By Ginger | May 17, 2002
The tour, the record… the whole damn thing.
Dread. That was what I felt the day before we played our first show of the tour. With The Wildhearts, anything is possible (as you’ve probably figured out by now, unless you’ve recently joined us… in which case, please read on). And if things are gonna go wrong, they’re going to do so when you’re looking away, smiling at the future or laughing with a friend. Disasters of the Wildhearts variety don’t come with any bells or invitation. And like buses they’re big and, er, red.
The first show in Dudley dispersed any ghosts lingering from the last visit. It was tight, if a little rigid, but definitely on course. Now all we needed to do was make it to Newcastle, a few days later, without a hitch. If we got that far, I’d have been very happy. Some business needed to be taken care of back home in the North East, particularly for Danny. After getting that far, I’d be happy that things would pick up, the band would relax a little more, and if we made it to the end of the gruelling 12 dates with only a couple of duff gigs, we’d have still been on course.
I didn’t expect that we’d get through the whole shebang without one bad show. But we did. Funny, innit?
Cardiff was stunning. We’d forgotten just how mental Welsh people are about this band. Cambridge was a rock extravaganza of unexpected proportions, and would have been reviewed by Steven Wells (a huge supporter of The Wildhearts) for NME, if the reviews editor didn’t think we weren’t suitable for a live review – their reasoning for the decision being "they’re too Kerrang!". Nice to see that even in an age where ROCK is more popular than ever before in libido history, there are still a few old guard that haven’t got the fucking foggiest. Still, they’ve got Andrew WK to champion – who needs to stick with homegrown? They probably still think we sound like Iron Maiden anyway.
It’s fucking typical of the clouded view that this country sometimes still has for British ROCK. The Who, The Clash, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles… all British guys, right? Changed the world of music, right? The Wildhearts are a British institution, and yet someone from a paper as influential as NME can’t see the social relevance of a bunch of local guys selling out every show in an unannounced tour to sexy people of all ages ROCKING AND FUCKING WELL ROLLING AND FUCKING WELL LOVING IT ALL THE WAY TO FUCKSVILLE. Punks both old school and new, old metallers, nu-metal kids, pop kids, indie kids, trendies and straight lookers – where else do you ever see this many different types of character comfortably rubbing shoulders in the name of fun? That night, Andy Cairns insisted we’d just restored his faith in rock ‘n’ roll. I know it restored mine.
The tour ended in Manchester with a sold out show, which was given a 5K review by Kerrang!. Not a bad jaunt for a band that has been on its last legs so many times that we should have gone into wheelchair manufacturing. Strange how sometimes you could swear that you know. Well buddy, you just don’t know. Not about anything. Stop fooling yourself. If things are shit in your life, you can bet that at some point things are going to turn around so quick that you’ll insist you’re still asleep. Good times don’t come knocking; they barge into your home and start helping themselves to your misery, gorging like the last supper and eating away that flimsy backdrop you used to call a life. Eating your cancer. Leaving you disorientated and smiling.
And don’t forget that it can also go the other way.
I never forget for one second that this is The Wildhearts. It’s a nasty dog with a sweet side, but a bite from a nasty dog sure leaves scars in your memory. There, there, good dog, just play nice. Me? I’ll just keep petting with a keen eye on the quickest way to the door.
How pure are a rock band supposed to be anyway? We drink like athletes preparing for the World Cup of consumption. We wake every day with hangovers the size of God’s arse, and then we rock. And then we drink. Every day it’s like this. Fucking brilliant life, this is. But not suitable for anyone but power-built rock horses like The Wildhearts. We eat the shit that other bands are afraid to sniff.
After the final show we were granted couple of days off to say ‘hi’ to the family and unpack the sweaty shit from the sweaty tour bag, before packing again and heading off to the studio to finish off mixing.
During the studio session, post-tour talk veered off in a million tangents and landed on a plan. Instead of making one mini-album, why not make it two EPs? It’d mean more tracks, more exposure, and more touring. More ROCK. The road bug had hit hard and the virus was infectious. We are a live band, and whatever it takes to get us back into that environment is the way to go. The mini-album idea looks likely to still go ahead in Japan, where singles are almost impossible to set up. There’ll be more touring to follow. And that means more drinking and more ROCK.
See, all bands need to feel wanted, whoever they are. And it doesn’t just come by seeing your face in news reports in magazines. We need to be accepted by the audience as a cooperative rush of adrenalin that only a gig can instigate. The audience and the band share the energy like a good meal, a fucking banquet… except touring makes you thinner, of course.
The studio tracks sound immense. They’re literally groaning at the seams with riffs and melodies… and riffs. It is, quite frankly, ridiculous.
The first release looks set to be Vanilla Radio, hopefully to coincide with a very special one-off event. C’mon, we’ve played to almost 10,000 people on this tour. We’ll play to another 20,000 before the release of the first batch of new shit hits your high street. If everyone buys a copy we’ll chart. And who will be able to ignore this phenomenon when that happens?
Come August / September, do us a favour and keep a fiver in your pocket, will ya? Tell your friends to do the same. In the name of British ROCK. In the name of The Wildhearts, the band people hate to love. Buy this shit and put our ugly, pale mugs back on your TV!
Y’see, at this point in time we can do nothing but wait and see what comes of this tour / recording excitement. The band are focussed and prepared to go at it like a gang of hungry wolves at a Weight Watchers convention, given the chance. Our future is in your hands. And we know that you know exactly what to do with your hands.
We’ve been added to the Lost Weekend bill (Ed’s note – this isn’t happening now), and are also headlining the second stage of Nottingham’s Distortion festival. Things seems to be going places – big open places – helped by the tireless work of our new manager, Rudy Reed. All we need is your support. And that’s a good place to be… for now.
We’ve never had such a good view. Front row fucking seats for the game of the century, to put British rock back in the world arena. With you there, we will see this thing through. We’ve never needed you as much in our lives. And you wanna know the funny thing? You never needed us so much either!
Down a large one with me and toast the new revolution. This one will be televised. The time is not to talk, the future will be built on action. The Wildhearts are the only British rock ‘n’ roll band with enough pedigree to become a classic ROCK story. The ones you love to tell. Bad boys done good. Underdogs at the table of success. We are the only band around right now that have seen the dark side, made human mistakes essential for spiritual growth, and arrived out of the ass of defeat rocking like full force road bastards existing only to kick the ass of a new generation.
It’s a good time time to be alive, people… let’s make it better, huh? Stick together and stay apart. They won’t know what fucking hit ’em!
FUCKING COME ON!
Ginger
Ginger Says – There has never been such a passion and determination to make this stuff the best that we have ever recorded
By Ginger | April 4, 2002
So The Wildhearts descended upon the dark rock ‘n’ roll recess known as Skegness (actually a bright, sunny, friendly place, but for the sake of atmosphere please bear with me), ending up at a place called Chappel Studios (owned by the highly genial host Andy Dransfield, with fantastic eats provided by the luscious Kelly, owner of the biggest smile in East England), to record the first songs since 1996 (not counting the new Jason Ringenberg material – you know you’ve gotta buy that new album of his doncha? Cool).
Anyway, cut to the point willya Ginger? What the fuck you on about?
Man, I’ve been around this band when we’ve recorded our most popular songs in the past, but there has never been such a passion and determination to make this stuff the best that we have ever recorded. The musicianship on this new material shows that the guys have been keeping their hands in since the split.
One of the most reassuring things about The Wildhearts is that whatever the level of debauchery present, the four members have never resorted to day jobs and hung up their instruments. Some people are full-timers, lifers. Like us.
So, these new numbers? You wanna know what album they most resemble before you shell out your dollars, right? I can honestly say don’t bother to keep the receipt.
Let’s Go
The opening track and future set opener, when everyone gets to hear it. The first track we wrote together, it began life from a riff by Stidi. The rest of the song wrote itself. Seriously. It’s huge, meaty and classic, with a shout-along-a-Wildhearts chorus that’ll have the audience voicing their joy in absolute harmony (well, not too much harmony, you understand). We’ve never sounded so brutal yet catchy. Danny reckons the nearest comparisons are Be My Drug, Inglorious and Caprice. “Then hoy in Caffeine Bomb and you’re there,” he says.
Stormy In The North, Karma In The South
The first collaboration between me and CJ. A rollicking rocker with trademark harmony verses and a motorised riff. Heavy and melodic. Classic Wildhearts a la Everlone, I Wanna Go Where The People Go, and Nothing Ever Changes But The Shoes. Stidi says: “It’s like Cheap Trick playing a Motorhead song.” Danny says: “Only better”. CJ reckons it sounds like “a rabid goose called Arnold sucking the eye out of a little dog’s head.” And I can’t argue with him, to be honest.
Vanilla Radio
Likely to be the first single off the album, this track really is the shit. A heavy as fuck riff, followed by a heavy as fuck riff, followed by a catchy as fuck verse, followed by… ah hell, you know the score. I wrote this one when we reformed last summer and it’s turned out to be the classic I hoped it would be. Armed with a huge chant-along chorus of “where’s my Elvis?”, it bemoans the lack of true rock stars on today’s radio. With some classic Earth Vs riffage and a ‘Beatley’ verse, this one really will take the roof off any club playing it. Expect a sampler to show up in your local rock club very soon. You’ll know it when it blasts through the speakers – it’ll be that one with the huge opening salvo. “Poptastic,” is Stidi’s description, “with more hooks than a Geordie fisherman.” “Expect to see this one on Top Of The Pops,” says Danny.
OCD
Another track from CJ’s arsenal. The initials stand for Obsessive Compulsive Distortion, and it sounds like it. A huge riffing mid-section goes off on more tangents than a night on the piss with Random Jon Poole; typical Wildhearts excess in the vein of the longer Fishing For Luckies tracks. “It reminds me of some of the riffs on Sky Babies,” says Danny. CJ, when asked to describe the track, remarks:”Fuck, did I turn off the kitchen light? Yes I did, no I didn’t, yes, no. Know what I mean?” Any obsessive compulsives out there will relate. That noise that you can also hear is the sound of hundreds of others scratching their collective heads.
Better Than Cable
A track I wrote after hearing Angie’s sister saying to my son: “Awww, Jake, you’re even better than cable!” I thought that would make a perfect song title, and – hey presto! – the track was instantly written while baking on a beach in Malaysia. This one revisits classic Wildhearts rock ‘n’ roll – a sound that so few people make these days. It’s in the speed-a-holic style of Caffeine Bomb, but mixed with a classic Yo-Yo’s swagger. Only heavier. Obviously. Great lyrics a la SG5’s Girls Are Better Than Boys. Every line’s a winner. “Music to drive a car very fast to,” says Danny. “Got it in one, Dan,” says Ginger.
Looking For The One
Another song written about splitting up with your partner. I had the idea for this one ages ago, but writing lyrics about something that happened years ago, and in the opposite state of mind to the one you’re currently occupying, is unbelievably difficult. And very satisfying to finish. It opens with one of the biggest collections of riffs we’ve ever opened with, then dives headlong into pure pop territory, with a classic Wildhearts chorus. Intense and melodic in equal measures. Would sit alongside anything on Earth Vs. “Sounds like The Wildhearts being influenced by The Wildhearts,” according to Danny.
Putting It On
Born from a musical idea by CJ and a terrific chorus line from Danny that goes: “Did you listen to your mothers? Did you listen to your brothers? Your sisters and your lovers? Not putting it on.” Hard not to relate to that one, right? It’s huge and anthemic, with an eye on the stadiums that this song was born to reverberate around. A great, chugging riff by CJ splits the tension with a hefty blade as the band sail out into the night on a chorus built of fond memories of gargantuan nights out. A song about friends, by friends. The last track on the album, and the last thing you’ll be singing while you press ‘play’ again and take in the whole sensation for a second time. And a third… and a fourth… and…
The title looks set to be The Black Box. Thanks for all the entries for the ‘name the album’ competition. They were generally great; some were side-splittingly funny and others were truly bizarre. A special and honourable mention goes out to Rob Powell for Paint Me Purple And Call Me Bernard, and to Lee and Jim for Never Trust A Woman With A Bigger Penis Than Yourself, and Paul Cairney for Fuck Me! It’s The Wildhearts!. And an award for unoriginality should go out to Keith Elrick for The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed. But we finally settled on The Black Box while spending an intense evening wrapped around the speakers (the black boxes) of the studio listening to the tracks at nosebleed volume.
It’s been emotional. We’re looking forward to recording the full album, with songs already coming fast and furious. It’s a new day, and it feels like a new band. Everything is good. Well, except for the fact that I’ve gotta go and have some more dental surgery tomorrow morning. Always something to piss on yer chips, huh? Nah, bring it on, mate. You and whose drill?
Nothing can wreck this buzz.
Sonically yours
Ginger
Ginger Says – It’s impossible to predict how things are going to go with The Wildhearts, but this time we mean it
By Ginger | March 8, 2002
Seems like an awful long time since the last time I wrote one of these. Man, so much has happened that it’s difficult to start at the beginning. So I won’t. The following events come to you in glorious random-vision.
Speaking of Random, he’s undergone some major surgery and is still recuperating. Wish him all the best, will ya? If you send all your support to the usual address, I’ll make sure he gets it. He’ll be over the moon, and you know he deserves it. A nicer man has yet to be administered into hospital.
Ever moved house? It fucking sucks and swallows on the first date. In fact, I’m sure the only reason we do it is because of the ‘tight shoe syndrome’ – it feels so damn good when it’s over that it’s almost worth the grief (and yes, that was a capital ‘almost’). Still, buying somewhere sure beats putting money into a landlord’s pocket without the basic right to hammer a nail into a wall. And hammering nails into walls rocks. My house looks like the guy from Hellraiser’s face. And I’ve got an office. Just off the bedroom. Full of stuff you’ve given me. Wanted one for years. Thought you’d wanna know!
Jake is a man now. Almost talking. He’s a real Daddy’s boy, too. Man, kids make life so interesting that I can’t believe I spent so many years alone. Those of you with children know what I mean, and the rest of you will find out one day. Really, you should. I went out to see ‘A’ play last night and saw a good few faces wearing the same expression that I used to wear: one of acceptance; even, dare I say, complacency – the kind of look that comes when you’re figuring out your next move. Kids already do that for you.
And speaking of ‘A’, how ace is seeing a hard working band get a decent break? It looks like British rock music is set to be the new black. Which is great timing, since The Wildhearts are just about to dip a tentative baseball boot in the studio to record some new songs. The plan was to put out four new songs, but that seems impossible, especially when CJ’s on overdrive. The guy’s writing a new song every couple of days – completed and fully demo’d up. It’s a sunny day when I’ve got to keep up with someone else’s output. And I love a challenge, especially when it’s from a band-mate.
So, the EP has turned into a mini-album featuring seven brand new offerings. And you’d best believe me when I say it’s gonna put a big dump of happiness into the toilet we affectionately call radio. CJ just sent me another new one today. The fucking thing has about four minutes of riffs in the middle. Should be able to bump that up to eight minutes when the guys get hold of it.
It’s impossible to predict how things are going to go with The Wildhearts, but this time we mean it. And that should be enough for anyone, even the few people out there that think that putting the band back together is ‘floundering’ in some way. Hard work will win out as it always does. And trust me, 12 dates back to back with no days off is hard work, in anyone’s book. If I can believe in it this much then you sure can!
That’s not to say that SG5 are in any difficulty. Far from it. I feel like I have a sonic mistress in the shape of that band. And when we get together the sparks certainly fly from all four codpieces – so much so, in fact, that those same sparks have been known to set fire to top rock venues in the name of rock ‘n’ roll. We all love a bit of pyro mayhem to wash down those jagged riffs. And you know I’m right. Expect more fire and brimstone at some point this year.
I’ve fallen out with a few friends since we last spoke. It’s weird when someone decides that they don’t want to be your mate any more and you can’t really figure out why. I guess some people just like to make life hard for themselves. I’m an old pro at losing people. It never gets easier, but it sure saves money on birthday presents.
Spike Milligan died. Funny, I just never thought he would.
Life is sweet at the moment. OK, so it gets tough every so often, but isn’t that the way you appreciate a bit of levity? Like Winston Churchill once said, “when you are going through Hell, just keep walking.” And that, my friends, is exactly what we do. Never give in. Never surrender.
See you all in April when we take these new songs on the road to test them in front of the toughest jury in the world: the fans. And you’ve never lied to me yet, right? I look forward to hearing what you think.
Excited? Join the queue – the big one, next to the tiny one talking about not being as excited as they were ten years ago. I suppose not everyone can stay young.
Just keep saying this, over and over again: IT’S ALL GOOD! And it will be.
Ginger
Ginger Says – Rock ‘n’ Roll, kids – remember the name. And don’t forget where you heard it first
By Ginger | January 22, 2002
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, but whether you get up” – Vince Lombardi
Happy new year – the year that will see ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ become a hip term to use amongst the young movers and shakers of the media and entertainment business. The old guard are out and the new blood are in, and you just know that they want something new, but with an authentic twist of integrity to compliment the aftertaste that nu metal left.
It takes an awful long time to rid the world of the beauty of loud guitars, especially when a new ‘axe-based’ trend has recently come and gone. The NWOBHM (or to anyone too young to remember, ‘the nuwobuhum’) begat the 80s glam / metal craze, which begat grunge. Grunge (or to anyone too young to remember, ‘those miserable bastards from Seattle’) begat nu metal. And nu metal will surely be reborn in a sexier, sleeker, more manufacturable style than its predecessor. It stands to reason… well, as much as this business can be relied upon to use the method of reason.
Look around you at advertisements over the next few months. In magazines and on the streets, you’ll see a distinct change in the way that rock will be portrayed. Figure-hugging fashions will replace the post hip-hop style of last year’s look. Long hair will feature more prominently than the previous ‘morning the wrong way’ cut. Leather ‘biker-style’ jackets will be favoured above any other iconic statement of intent. Imagine a young Lemmy crossed with Nikki Sixx, add a dash of White Zombie-era Rob Zombie and you’re getting warm. There will be no more moaning about having it hard when you were young – that will be mandatory in today’s tougher youth. It will mean that you mean to party. Smile. Fuck. And play hard…and I mean hard.
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, kids… remember the name. And don’t forget where you heard it first.
And if I’m right it looks like I’ll be in fashion. Ha ha… that would be great – this old mug staring out at you from the pages of the rock mags once again. Oh the irony; the faces on the pissed off doubting factions. Good job I didn’t get my hair cut, huh? Dunno about you, but to me short hair definitely does not rock. Boy bands have short hair. As do television characters and politicians. Short hair does not piss anyone off. My mother always wanted me to cut my hair. She hated long hair. Hated the Ramones, too. And KISS. I wonder if it was the hair or the volume, or if both go hand in hand.
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him” – David Brinkley
Y’see, it’s all about your attitude. And I’m not talking about name-calling and spitting on the pavement, I’m talking about your outlook, patience, consistency and pride. It’s about not believing that it’s enough to say ‘fuck them’, when ‘FUCK THEM’ will do. And it’s not about believing that bold statements amount to the same value as bold actions. It’s about getting it hard and making it look easy; doing more than the guy next to you.
“Always do more than is required of you” – General George S. Patton
“Well done is better than well said” – Benjamin Franklin
Everyone’s time comes. Whether it’s as a youth or an elder statesman, it’s only a matter of having something people want. Saying something worth hearing. Working hard enough to inspire. Fitting a need. And people’s needs are usually easily satisfied so there’s also the matter of not taking yourself too seriously. Staying cool. Doing better. And seriously pissing people off with the fact that they just won’t ever do what you do. They could, of course, but they won’t. It’s easier that way. It takes less effort. And in the short run it’s simpler, if less impressive, to talk someone else’s efforts down. Simple suits the simpleton. The world to these people is a difficult place, the mouth being so geometrically close to the nose that the shit some people talk ensures that their world always smells of shit.
The new rock ‘n’ roller will be too busy to pull down anyone else’s efforts. The new rock ‘n’ roller will work hard, rock hard and play hard. And, of course, party hard. It’s all down to being cool. ‘Cool’ is the new ‘geek’. And what would you rather be?
“Progress is not created by contented people” – F. Tyger
Get out there and have it this year. This looks set to be the coolest, toughest, most satisfying year of them all. Let’s face it, last year fucking sucked. This year, that could never be the case. It just couldn’t be. We will not allow it.
To the real, the able, the tough, the restless, the disillusioned, the dissatisfied and the brave… and for those about to rock ‘n’ roll…. WE SALUTE YOU.
And anyone else out there? You might want to sit this one out.
God speed…
Ginger